Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) announced the reintroduction of the CHAMPVA Children’s Care Protection Act, legislation to ensure children of disabled veterans can remain eligible for VA health care until age 26, the same coverage already provided under the Affordable Care Act for private-sector insurance plans and the military’s TRICARE program. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.
“When our nation makes a promise to care for our veterans, that promise must extend to their loved ones who serve and sacrifice alongside them,” said Congresswoman Brownley. “Families of disabled veterans and survivors shoulder tremendous burdens when their loved ones wear the uniform. They endure deployments, uncertainty, and, for far too many, unimaginable loss.
“It is unacceptable that the children of those who sacrificed the most for our country do not have the same health care protections other families already receive under the Affordable Care Act and TRICARE. The CHAMPVA Children’s Care Protection Act ensures that dependents and survivors of American heroes can remain covered until age 26, just like every other family.
“This legislation is about more than just closing a gap in the law. It is about keeping our nation’s promise to those who have given so much. It is about providing peace of mind, honoring their sacrifice, and ensuring that no child of a disabled veteran or survivor ever has to go without the care they deserve. This is not only a matter of fairness, it is the right thing to do.”
Background
The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) provides comprehensive health care coverage for the spouses and dependents of permanently and totally disabled veterans; survivors of veterans who died as a result of a service-connected disability; survivors of veterans who at the time of death were permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected disability; and survivors of service members who died in the line of duty. Currently, a child of a veteran loses eligibility for CHAMPVA at age 18 if they are not a student, or at age 23 if they are enrolled in school.
While the Affordable Care Act requires private health insurance plans to allow children to remain on their parents’ plan until age 26, and TRICARE was updated in 2011 to provide the same coverage, CHAMPVA has not kept pace. The CHAMPVA Children’s Care Protection Act closes this gap, ensuring that children of disabled veterans and survivors are not left behind.
Read the full text of the bill here.
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Issues: 119th Congress, Healthcare, Veterans' Affairs